Envelope opener



Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,010

c, c. MADsl-:N

ENVELOPE OPENER v Original Filed Julyrls' 1923 .Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

CHARLES C. MADSEN, F CHICAGG, ILLINOIS.

ENVELOPE OPENER.

Application led July 18, 1923, Serial No. 652,299.

This invention `relates to hand-operated Vtools for opening envelopes,andy has reference more particularly to that type of tool which does itswork by cutting a narrow strip from one edge of the closed envelope, ortrimming ott the fold which'integrally joins the front and back sides ofthe envelope; this being `accomplished by a relative longitudinalsliding movement of the tool and the envelope.

In one known type vof such*l tools illustrated in Letters Patent `toStarlil No. 1,474,856, Novemberr20, 1923, thetool consists 'of a hollowhead and a handle with a longitudinal guide slotl extending lengthwiseof the handleV and across one side of the Vhead, a pair of circularcutting blades mounted in the head with their cutting edges in shearrelation in the slot, anda pair of cutter driving rollers mounted co-faxially with the cutter blades'and in periph,- eral contact with eachother laterally opposite to the cutting points ofthe blades and servingthe double function of driving the cutters through frictional engagementwith the envelope drawn between them and yclamping the edge ofthe'envelope as'the" latter is operated upon by the cutters.V Inv such atool the rotary movement of the cut` tersis started by forcing theforward end of the envelope or other paper sheet between the contactingperipheries ofV the driving rollers.

sheets of thin and very flexible stock, andl especiallywhere the edge ofthe envelope liasbecome somewhat folded and crumpled in the mails, itisimpossible to force the Sucha tool operates satis-Y factorily onrelatively` heavy and stiff. stock, but in the case of envelopes orpaperV end of the envelope into the nip of the ,fricf tion drivingrollers, and consequently the tool is neither practical norcommercialgfor;

Renewed Aprilia i926.

holds the tool.r Another object is to siniplify and c heapen the cost of-production of the. tool by a reduction in the number ofv operatingparts and Ya simplification of the structure; and a still further objectis to provide an improved' device for supporting the edge of theenvelope in the guide slot of. the handle and guiding the edge to betrimmed in a line tangential to the overlapping cutting peripheries ofthe cutter blades.

Other objects and attendant advantagesy workable embodiment of theinvention, and

wherein'k Y Fig. 1 lis a perspective elevation,- viewed from the back orrear side thereof, of my improved envelope opener;

Fig. 2 is an inner side elevation of the same; l

Fig. 3 is an edge elevation, viewed from thelower side of Fig. 2;

v F ig.,4 is an end elevation, viewed from the left of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 'is an enlarged section on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 2'; and

Fig. 6 1s a cross-section through .the handle and guide clip taken yonthe line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

The frame or body of thel tool is conveniently made ina casting orstamping, preferably of aluminum, and comprises generally a head portion10 and a handle 11. The head 10 is slotted throughout substantiallyitsfull length and width, forming parallel outer and inner walls 12 and13, between which the cutters and their associated parts are located.The inner side of the handle 11 is `formed with a longitudinal slot 14,the side walls of which are preferably beveled or ehamfered, as shown`at 15; and the slot 14; is extended through the inner wall' 13 of thehead, as shown at '14:'. of the handle 11 may be made concave, as shownat 16, creating shallow` depressions wh'ich'aii'ord an eifective Vgripof the thumb and .,nger on the handle. Extendingv be: tween the frontandrear wallsV of the-head area pair of pins '17, preferablyvhaving adrive t within their receiving apertures The outer sides the wal ls,'so"thatthey can be readily ydriven out by a suitable tool when-d'is'as'semlolingthe parts. These pins 17 constitute iiXed supports -inthe nature of shafts, on which the cutter blades, their hubs andtensioning devices are rotatably mounted. Rotatable on one of the pins17 is a hub member 18 formed with a relatively thick flange 18 kon oneend ther-eer", and rotatable. on the other pin 17 is a hub member 19termed at the correspond ing` end with a relatively narrow 'flange 1-9.rlhese hub members 18 and 19 are ot a length to just iit between theside walls of the head.

'lightly fitted on the hubs 18 and 19 are the hubs 20 and 21 of a pairof circular steel cutter yblades 2O and 21 formed with beveledperipheries, as shown in Fig. 5, which overlap at the transverse centerot the slot '14. rlhe `shear relation of the edges ot the bladesismaintained by parts, next to be described, which operate to press theblade 21 laterally into snug contact with the blade 2O and also serve asya friction drive from one blade to the other in the initial vstageotthe envelope trimming` operation. inwardly ot the hub 21 of the blade 21is mounted on the hub member 19 a thin spacing washer 22.v and on theadjacent end or' the blade hub 21 is a flange 21 and between the washer22 and the flange 19 of the hub is mounted a disc 23, the same having adrive fit on the hub 19. rlhis disc 23 is of sufficient diameter toproject sliO'htly at its periphery beyond the periphery ot the head 10of the tool,`as clearly shown in Figs. 1, l and and its periphery ispreferably roughened, as by srrooving or lmurling, as shown at 23.Mounted on the hub 18 and clamped be'n tween the hub 20 of the cutter 2Oand the flange 18 of the hub 18 are a pair of very tliin spring steelwashers 2l and 25. The

diameter and combined thickness oit' these7 washers is such that theirperipheral por-Y tions enter with a tight tit between the inner side ofthe driving disc 23 and the opposite' side of the cutter flange 21,whereby,- -through pressure on said flange they serve to press thecutter 21 into snug shear co-V operation with the cutter 20. These discs24 and 25 lalso constitute a 'friction drive from the hub 19 and theparts mounted thereon to the hub 18 and the parts mounted on the latter.Tightly iitted into the longitudinal slot 14: of the handle, and'preferably adjacent to the outer end ot the latter, is an envelopeguiding` andsupporting clip 26 preferably of substantially U-form and'formed with Vsides which are inwardly bent at their intermediateportions as shownA` at 26 in Fig. 8,- andwith outwardly end portions 26;This. clip is preferably et .metal 'and isv designed yto assist the oserVet tlieftoelinmaintainingjthe edgeportion of the elopew-itltin-theg ,ge slet ie-aejd also te dit-settle to be si mea against the cutters on aline, or in a direction, 'substantially tangential to the overV lapping'peripheries of the latter. ln using the tool, the handle ot the latteris held between the thumb and second linger of one hand, while the edO'eof the envelope or other envelope is positively drawn into the nip otthe cutters bythe action of the latter there# on, and does not have tobe pushed into such engagement with the cutters or into similarengagement with cutter driving discs. After the cutters have thus beenmanually started in operation through inanipulation of the f drivingdisc 23 in the manner described, and lthe cutting operation has beenfairly started, the remainder 'of the cutting operation may beeasilyperformed by a simple and relative sliding movement of the tool and theen'- velope.

I claimz 1. An envelope Vcutter comprising a hollow head and a handle,said handle formed with a longitudinal slot extending across one side ofsaid head to receive and guide an edge of the envelope, a pair ofcircular cutters journaled in said head with their cutting edgesoverlapping within said slot, and manually operable means mounted andprojecting beyond the periphery 'of said headfor imparting an initialturning movement to said cutters, whereby to cause said cutters to gripand pull the advance end ot the envelope.

2. An envelope cutter comprising a hollowy head and a handle, saidhandle formed with a longitudinal slot extending across one side of saidhead to receive and guide an edge ot the envelope, apa-ir of circularcutters j'ournaled in said head with their cutting edges in shearrelation within said slot, a manually operable 'cutter-turning deviced-rivingly enga-ged with one ot said cutters and projecting beyond theperiphery of'A said head, and means actuated by saidV device forsimultaneously turni-ngrvtheL other cutter in the reverse direction,whereby to cause said cutters to grip and pullthe advance end of theenvelope. v

3.V An env lope cuttereomprising a hollow head and a handle, said handleformed with a longitudinal slot extendingacrossf one side of said headto receive andguide an edge ot the envelope a pair of circular cuttersvjournaled. said head with their` Cutting edges relation -ivi'th'insalidf slet,I a n "nually operable eutteret'u disc coaniall and d' elifeeeesevvlth elle ,0f Sekt-@etten an v having its peripliiy projectingbeyond y means actuated by i relation within said vsaid head, andfriction said disc for simultaneously rotating the other cutter in thereverse direction, whereby to cause said cutters to grip and pull theadvance end of the envelope. l

l. An envelope cutter comprising a hollow head and-a handle, said handleformed with a longitudinal slot extending across one side oi' said headto receive and guide an edge of the envelope, a pairoi pivotpins'mounted in and crosswise ot said head, a pair of cutter discsrotatable on said pivot pins, respectively, with their cutting edges inshear slot, a manually operable .cutter-turning disc rotatably mountedon one of said pivot pins laterally opposite to, and drivingly engagedwith, one of said cutters, said disc havingits periphery projectingbeyond the periphery of said head, and Jfriction means actuated by saiddisc for simultaneously turning the other cutter in the reversedirection, whereby to cause` said cutters to grip and pull the peripheryof the envelope.

5. An envelope cutter comprising a hollow head and a handle, said handleformed with a longitudinal slot extending across one side of said headto receive and guide an edge of the envelope, a pair of pivot pinsmounted in and crosswise of said head, a pair of cutter discs rotatableon said pivot pins, respectively, with their cutting edges in shearrelation with said slot, means for pressing the cutting peripheries ofsaid cutters 'laterally into snug contact with each other, acutterturning disc rotatably mounted on one of said pivot pins laterallyopposite to', and drivingly engaged with, one of said cutters, said dischaving a roughened periphery projecting beyond the periphery of saidhead andv adapted to be engaged byl a vfinger of the operator to turnthe same, and a friction drive between said disc and the other cutterserving to simultaneously turn the latter in the reverse direction,whereby to cause said cutters to grip and pull the advance end of theenvelope.

6. An envelope cutter comprising a hollow head and a handle formed witha continuous the advance end ot vhead and a handle guide slotV extendinglengthwise of the handle and across one lside of said head, apair lotpivot pins mounted in and crosswise of said head, a pair of hubsrotatable on said pivot pins, respectively, a-pair of cutter discsfasten said hubs,respectively, vwith their cutting edges in shearrelation with said slot, coi-operating devices on said hubs,respectively, serving to press vthe cutting periphery of one of saidcutters laterally into snug contact ywith the cutting periphery of theother, a cutter turning disc Vtast on one of said hubs drivingly engagedwith the cutter mounted on the latter,

said disc having a roughened periphery projecting beyond the peripheryof 'said head and adapted to be engaged by a finger of the operator toturn the saine,y and a tric.- v

tion drive between said hubs serving to s1- multaneously turn the othercutter inthe reverse direction, whereby to cause said cutters to gripand pull envelope. Y,

'7. An envelope cutter comprising al hollow head and a handle `formedwith a continuous guide -slot extending lengthwise of the handle andacross one side of said head, a pair of circular cutter blades journaledin said head with their cutting edges overlapping within said slot, anda U-shaped clip for guiding and supporting the edge ot the envelope tobe trimmed mounted in said slot adjacent to the end ot said handleremote from said headl 8. An envelope cutter comprising a hollow formedwith a continuous guide slot extending lengthwise ot the handle andacross one side of said head, a pair of circular cutter bladesvjournaled in-said head with their cutting edges overlapping within saidslot, and a clip for guiding and supporting the edge of the envelope tobe trimmed mounted in said slot, said clip having sides inwardly bent attheir intermediate portions to engage with the opposite sides of anenvelope inserted between them and outwardly splayed end portions toguide the edge of the envelope into said clip.

cHARLEs o. MADsEN.

substantiallythe advance end of the Y

